Re: GIF Format
On Mon, 30 Aug 1999, you wrote:
> I just ran across this...it appears that if you operate a website that
> uses gif images,or other LZW(TIFF-LZW, PostScript, Portable Document
> Format (PDF), V.42bis, etc.) formats, you may have to purchase a $5000
> license from Unisys, the people who patented the technology.
...
> That, in a nutshell is what's wrong with the world today.
This is also an excellent illustration of the total inability on the part of
management types to apply reason or logic to any problem.
Let's think for a moment: The obvious result of this "patent" enforcement will
be the immediate removal of all gif files from web sites, except for a handful
of very large sites for whom the cost of conversion would be > $5000.
Therefore, there will soon be no real demand for software which
uses the gif format. Hence, no reason for the software developers to
license the technology or include it in their products (browsers or editors)
Result: little income to the patent holders, and the eventual inability of
the few licensed users to find software which supports what is in essence
an orphaned format..
However, there will still be a significant _outflow_ of money from Unisys.
Let's "follow the money" -- Is anyone surprised to find that it will go to
the corporate lawyers?
This is obviously just another attempt by lawyers to extort money from
their clients and the general public. (see, for example, tobacco, guns, hot
coffee, .etc....)
Sell your Unisys stock - poor management decisions will kill any business,
sooner or later.
Irv Mullins
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